The Epidemic of Torture and the Mendacity of the Nigerian Torture Act, 2017

Abstract

The prevalence of torture, cruel, and other inhuman and degrading treatment on crime suspects in Nigeria and around the globe is alarming and gradually returning humanity to a barbaric state. It is an affront to the dignity of the human person, truncating several international and domestic laws against torture. Nigeria ratified and domesticated the United Nations Treaty against Torture in 2001. Recently, the Nigerian government enacted the Anti-Torture Act 2017, prohibiting torture as a means of extracting information from suspects. It is petrifying that notwithstanding international and domestic laws against torture, the Nigerian government, its security operatives, and other security outfits are brazenly basking in the ugly culture of perpetrating various acts of torture on citizens. This article aims to showcase the government and its security agents as central and major actors in the effective prohibition and prevention of torture in Nigeria. The objective is to bring to the limelight the futility of international conventions on torture and the Act 2017 without implementation and government cooperation. The research adopts doctrinal designs using an analytical approach. This article opines that there is a need for government and security agents’ collaboration in the effort to curb the reign of torture in Nigeria. Our finding is that without a committed resolve by government and security actors to stop the use of torture as a crime-solving tool in Nigeria, the Anti Torture Act 2017 will remain a façade and there may be no end to torture and violation of the rights of suspects in Nigeria.